Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Hello,

This unit detected an incoming recon mission by five Fairey Battles and scrambled intercepting fighters on 30.09.39. What kind of a unit was this and how did it detect an incoming raid? radar? communications intercept? sound detection equipment?

Can anyone help me with this?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

7.(Flugm.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. 12 was setting up one of the first German radar sites on the Helenenberg near Trier on 20 Sep 39. At the end of Jun 40, the Kompanie transferred to Rennes to begin setting up the Flugmelde organization in Brittany.

So at the time of the raid 10 days later, its radar set was up and operational. I don't know what kind it was, but probably an early Freya. Perhaps our good friend and esteemed member SES will see this and provide additional information. German radar (Funkmeßgerät) is his area of expertise.

See:
Hoffmann, Karl Otto, Ln: Die Geschichte der Luftnachrichtentruppe, 3 Bde (Neckargemünd, 1965-73). Band 1/s.16-18.

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Larry,

If this was one of the first successful radar intercepts, this event may be hugely significant in the history of WWII. The Fairey Battle formation was wiped out by the fighters reportedly scrambled as a result of their detection by this unit. The British formation was on a high-altitude photographic recon of the Saarbrücken-Merzig area. Is this consistent with the position of the radar site as you indicated? Would this have been one of the first successful radar interceptions of the war? I hope that SES does see this and add what he knows about this radar site, and whether a German report still exists of the radar detection of this formation and the following air battle.

Can anyone provide a photo of this or a similar radar site from this period for the EoE Project account of this mission? We are now in a position to reconstruct what happened in great detail in the air.

Regards,

Larry

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Larry,

What is the full spell out of the abbreviations here:

7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12

7.)Flugm.)/Luftgau-Nachrichten Rgt. 12 (Is this correct?)

What does "Flugm." expand to?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

7.(Flugmelde)/Luftgau-Nachrichten-Regiment 12.
[7th Company (Aircraft Reporting)/Air District Signals Regiment 12]

L.

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Good evening Larry H. & Larry dZ. !

Helenenberg (Gemeinde Welschbillig = community of Welschbillig) is located midway between the western German towns Trier and Bitburg at the Bundesstrasse B 51. My hometown is about 8 km from this place, so I take the next days some reasearches in this matter. I hope to find still an eyewhitness, since 1939 to now is a very long time.

The Saarbrücken - Merzig area is about 50 - 80 km South of Helenenberg. Could this fit in the early days of a/c detection ?.

Best wishes !

Horst Weber

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Hi Horst,

According to a very old German book, the Helenenberg Funkmeßgerät would have been an early version of the Freya and would have operated in the 2.2-mm or 2.4-mm bandwidth range. It had a range of 120 km, so it would have been able to pick up the incoming formation of Battles.

Source:
Lusar, Rudolf. German Secret Weapons of the Second World War. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959. Hb. Dj. 264p. Illus. Index. pp.172-73.

Larry

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Larry/Horst,

Thanx for the help. It appears that there is an important story here, which I hope that we will be able to acquire and use.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Larry,

Surely you mean a wavelength of 2.2 m or 2.4 m which would result in a frequency of 136.136 MHz or 125 MHz.

Andy Fletcher

Re: Need info on what this signals? unit did? 7./Lg.Nachr.Rgt.12
 

Yes, that would be right.